“Founded by Ben and Felicia Horowitz, the Paid in Full Foundation honors the hip-hop immortals whose artistic contributions far outweigh the financial remuneration they received in return.” “As Ben described Eric B. & Rakim’s debut masterpiece, the foundation’s namesake Paid in Full: ‘I bought it for $10 and got at least $5 million worth of value out of it. It needed to be paid back.’” “Each honoree receives a five-year grant with no strings attached. Inspired by Quincy Jones’ work with the Jazz Foundation, the grants have allowed past recipients, among them Rakim, Scarface, George Clinton, Roxanne Shanté, Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee, Grand Puba, and Kool G Rap, to purchase homes, pay off medical bills, and finish long-delayed creative projects.” “Of course, a few grants a year can’t repay an entire generation, but they’re a start. Paid in Full refuses to let these cultural giants languish in our midst, and its grants have fundamentally changed the artists’ lives, though still not as much as the artists changed ours.” Full piece from acclaimed music journalist Jeff Weiss on the Paid in Full Foundation’s 2026 Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards: @Passionweiss